Reform’s ‘vigilante mum’ on winning lawless London, infidelity and banning the burka
The Daily T
The Telegraph
4.1 • 709 Ratings
🗓️ 8 January 2026
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The chances of London electing a Reform mayor may have seemed like a pipe dream to some, or a nightmare to others, just a few years ago.
But now self-styled “vigilante mum” of seven, criminal prosecutor and basketball player Laila Cunningham could be about to give Sadiq Khan a serious run for his money.
The newly-announced Reform candidate for mayor joins Camilla and Tim to talk about chasing down her children’s muggers, her plans for an “all-out war” on crime in the capital, and taking on the ULEZ.
Later she reacts to attacks on her over her Muslim identity, weighs in on the threat of Islamism, and calls for a ban on the burka.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Telegraph. |
| 0:10.1 | She's the vigilante mum that's vowed to take on Sadiq Khan in the capital. |
| 0:14.9 | We are joined by Reforms candidate for London mayor, Leila Cunningham. |
| 0:19.0 | Come 2028, criminals should be on notice. |
| 0:22.5 | There'll be a new sheriff in town. |
| 0:24.1 | Welcome to The Daily Tea with me, Tim Stanley. |
| 0:26.1 | And me, Camilla Tomoney. |
| 0:46.6 | Layla Cunningham joins us in the Daily Tea Studio, just unveiled as reforms candidate to be the next London mayor. |
| 0:55.4 | You're going to be taking on Sadiq Khan in 2008, Leila. Before we begin, we have a little daily tea. I say test, it isn't really a test. It's a ritual. |
| 0:56.4 | It's a little ritual. First of all, are you a tea drinker? Would you like a cup of tea? Hourly. Oh good. Hourly. Yeah. What's your tea? How many cups of tea do you have in a day normally? Four, five with a rich tea biscuit. Love that. All right, I'm going to be mother. |
| 1:09.4 | You're going to pour. |
| 1:10.0 | And you're going to ask the question. |
| 1:11.0 | Okay. |
| 1:12.0 | If you could have tea with anyone in history, who would it be? tea biscuit. Love that. All right. I'm going to be mother. You're going to pour. And you're going to ask the question. |
| 1:11.0 | Okay. |
| 1:11.8 | If you could have tea with anyone in history, who would it be? Alive or dead, you can say? Alive or dead? Probably. Wouldn't mind having tea with Michael Jordan. Okay. We've not had that before. Milk? Yes, please. I mean, I'd love to have tea with Margaret Thatcher, right? |
| 1:28.4 | Yeah, but everyone says that. |
| 1:29.3 | Everyone says that. |
| 1:30.0 | Everyone says that. |
| 1:30.7 | But, you know, I mean, I'd love to have tea with Margaret Thatcher, right? |
| 1:28.4 | Yeah, but everyone says that. |
| 1:29.3 | Everyone says that. |
... |
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